Operating mechanism for skylight-covers, &amp;c.



F. M. McLEAN & P. DROSS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SKYLIGHT COVERS, 6w.

APPLICATION YlLED JUNE 12.1914.

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Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEBTSSHEET I.

amueukozs watkomq 5 F. M. McLEAN & P. DROSS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SKYLIGHT COVERS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1914.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEETBBHEET 2.

P. M. MDLEAN & P. DROSS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SKYLIGHT COVERS, m.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1914.

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and PHILLIP Dnoss UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE;

FRED M. MCLEAN AND PHILLIP DROSS, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

OPEBATIN G MECHANISM FOR SKYLIGHT-COVERS, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 8,1914.

Application filed June 12, 1914. Serial No. 844,795.

- light-Covers,-&c.; and we,do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and'exact description of the same, reference being had to t "e accompa'nyin drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

In modern building construction it is desirable in inany instances to provide relatively large openings for lighting and ventilating purposes, and this necessitates the employment of correspondingly large closures therefior.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which may be operated by power for moving such closures into either their open or close position-under the direct and immediate control of the attendant, whereby the range of movementmay be accurately regulated and at the same time provision is made whereby the parts cannot e given an excessmovement in either direction, such as would strain or break the operating mechanism or the closures themselves.

lVhile theinveiition is primarily designed,

for o crating skylight covers and will be described and illustrated in connectionwith such devices, it will be readily appreciated that it is equally applicable to the movement of partitionsor the covers of floor openings between the different stories of a building.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation some what diagrammatic in character, illustrating the application of the present invention for the operation of a pair of covers for a skylight or roof opening of a building. Fig. 2 is a erspective view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. part of the operating mechanism being shown housed to protect the same from the elements. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the operating mechanism illustrating the winding drum and motor gearing. Fig. 4 is a view of the threepoint double throw control switch. Fig. 5 1s a diagrammatic view of the switch connec tions with the motor.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the letter A indicates the roof of a building in which roof there is a relatively large'opening at B, the opening indicated. being of such size as to practically throw open the entire top of the apartmentbe ow, thus exposing the Whole apartment to light and air. For closing this. openingtwo horizontally sliding cove'rs G and C are provided, said covers being adapted to travel on horizontal tracks or ways D, the number of such tracks emplpyed depending upon the size of.the opening and covers In the structure illustrated there are three tracks,

one at each side and one along the'center' line of the. opening and covers. Suitable provision is made for preventing the entry of water around and between the. covers such, 'for example, as the skirts c and the central interlocking weather strip 0 For operating the covers a'winding drum E is provided with flexible cable connections intermediate said drum and the movable covers, there being reversely arranged cable connections for. each cover, whereby the cover may be moved positively in either direction and bv arranging the reversely arranged connections for both covers to be opor sheave G, thence back over the center of the covers where it is guided by pulleys g, thence to the winding drum and around the same a suthcient number (if turns to prevent slipping, and thence back to the cover. One reach of the flexible connection passes over the covers and the other reach under the covers, as shown in Fig. 1, suitable openings being provided in the edge walls of the covers for the purpose. be corresponding flexible cable F for the other cover Cextends from the winding drum over the two covers where it is guided by the sheaves g, thence around pulley or sheave G and back under the cover C to the cover C where it is at tachcd. The other reach of the cable F passes directly from the winding drum to the low portion of the cover C.

In adjusting the flexible cables for operation, it will be understood that the two reaches of each cable leave the drum from opposite sides and they are attached to the covers in such relation that a rotation of the drum in one direction will bring the covers together with their meeting edges at-the center of the roof opening, while a rotation of the drum in the oppositedirection will move both of the covers to their full open position simultaneously, and obviously by arresting the rotation of the drum with the covers in any desired position, the size of the opening between the edges of the cover may be made of any width desired.

The power mechanism for operating the winding drum is preferably a reversible electric motor H which is connected through a train of gearing h, h, 72. with the shaft of the winding drum, the ratio of the gearing being such that a relatively small motor may be employed for moving relatively large and heavy covers or slides. The motor illustrated is one having three-terminal or line connections 27, 2', i and for controlling the operating current these line connections extend to a switch mechanism embodying a three-pole double throw switch illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.- This switch consists essentially of an operated arm K having threeswitch blades is projecting in opposite directions, and as shown in Fig. 5 adapted to be connected with the three-wire power line connections Z, Z, Z; The blades of the switch are adapted for cooperation with usual spring contacts m to m rlaspectively, and the spring contacts m, etc., are so connected with the motor terminals that when the switch is thrown fully in one direction current will be supplied for rotating the motor in one direction, and when fully thrown in the opposite direction, current will be supplied for operating the motor in the opposite direction.

scription is thought to be unnecessary for the purposes of the present invention.

The motor with its winding drum and gearing is preferably inclosed in a housing N in Fig. 2 and the switch in a housing N, while the operating arm K of the switch projects out at one side in position for the attachment of a controlling cable or flexible connection 0 which latter is preferably an endless cable extending over pulleys down into the apartment and adapted for the application of operating handles 0, whereby the cable may be pulled to throw the switch in either direction. Conveniently, the cable passes around a suitable idler or pulley S on the roof of the building beneath the edge of one of the sliding covers, this arrangement being adapted in order that provision may be made whereby the movement of the covers to their extreme positions in either direction may be made to automatically shift the switch into-its intermediate or neutral position, thus preventing any overrunning of the covers and insuring their being brought to rest, even should the attendant fail to throw the switch. This automatic control These motor connections are illustrated in Fig. 5 and further detail deis conveniently effected by providing the to move the switch in its intermediate or neutral position with the blades out of engagement with the spring contacts, as shown for example by the full lines in Fig. 4.

The arrangement of the switch is such that when brought to its neutral position by the movement of the cover it may be thrown to the opposite extreme by the manual manipulation of the control cable so as to re verse the direction of rotation of the motor and cause the covers to travel in the opposite direction. This operation of the switch lever will be readily understood from Fig. 5 where it is shown in dotted lines as thrown inopposite directions. Suitable sheaves and guides are provided for all of the cable connections so as to prevent undue wear on either the cable or the parts with which it is liable to contact.

In operation, assuming that the switch is standing in its normal neutral position, it is a simple matter to open or close the covers by throwing the switch in one direction or the other. If the covers are closed the switch can only be thrown; in a direction to effect the rotation of the motor for opening the covers, and if they are fully opened it can only be thrown in a direction to close them, so that there is little or no liability of the operating mechanism being thrown out of adjustment or broken by being set in motion in the wrong-direction, and, inasmuch as a small motor with a spur gear train of reducing wheels is employed, the winding drum is caused to rotate slowly but with considerable power for effecting the movement. This slow movement is desirable in order to prevent any possibility of damage by the momentum of the heavy covers, and owing to this construction the operating mechanism lends itself favorably for moving any heavy covers or partitions such as it may be'desirable to shift in or on a building.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In building construction, the combination with a pair of oppositely movable closures and tracks on which said closures travel, of an operating mechanism embodying cables attached to and extending iii opposite direction from each of said closures, guiding sheaves around which said cables pass, and a single winding drum around which the cables for both closures pass with the two reaches of each cable extending from the drum on opposite sides thereof,

whereby the rotation of the drum in one direction will cause the closures to be moved simultaneously and positively toward each other and the rotation of the d um in the opposite direction will cause the closures to be moved simultaneously positively away from each other.

2. In building construction, the combination with a pair of oppositely movable closures and tracks on which said closures are tracks on which said closures are guided and travel toward and from each other, of an operating mechanism for positively moving said closures embodyin a winding drum, independent cables 0th passing around said'winding drumbut in opposite directions, the two ends of said cables being,

secured respectively to one of the closures and sheaves around which said cables pass whereby they are maintained taut and 170- tation of the winding drum will cause the closures to be moved positively and simultaneously in opposite directions in accordance with the rotation of the drum.

- st. In a mechanism such as described, the

combination with oppositely movable closures, of a winding drum, independent cables passing around said drum in opposite directions and having'their two reaches connected respectively with the respective closures, whereby rotation of the drum will effect a simultaneous and positive movement of the closures in opposite directions, a motor, gearing intermediate said motor and winding drum, a switch controlling the 'direction of rotation of said motor, and operative connections mtermedlate one of the closures and switch forishifting the switch from an operative position to its neutral p0 sition controlled by the movement of the closure in either direction.

5. In an apparatus such as described, the

combination with the oppositely movable closures, Winding drum, flexible cables passing around said winding drum in opposite directions and having their two reaches connected respectively with the respective. closures, whereby rotation of the drum in either direction will effect the simultaneous movement of the closures in opposite directions, of a motor, gearing intermediate said motor and. winding drum, 'a reversing switch controlling said motor, a flexible controlling cable connected with said switch and having hand pieces for operating the same, a bracket on one of the closures, and

projections on said switch controlled cable with which said bracket cooperatesto move the switch into neutral position during the final movement of the closures in each direction. FRED McLEAN. PHILLIP DROSS. Witnesses:

F. L. SHORT,

FRANK Mann, Jr. 

